Former President Joe Biden said Sunday that his fight against cancer will keep him from doing as many promotional appearances as he had planned for his upcoming presidential memoir, which is scheduled for release on Nov. 17.
The book, titled "Promise Me, America," looks back on Biden's four years in the White House. According to the former president, it covers the COVID-19 pandemic, the aftermath of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot, his domestic legislative record, diplomacy on the world stage, and his choice to seek re-election in 2024 before ultimately stepping aside. The memoir also goes into the personal deliberations that led him to end that re-election bid.
In a post on X, Biden described the project as a reflection on his time in office. "It covers my years as President. The challenges we faced, the decisions I made, and why I made them. It's about who we are as a nation. What we stand for. And America's role in the world," he wrote, adding that above all it concerns "my faith in the American people and the great American experiment in self-governance and democracy."
Biden was diagnosed in May 2025 with an aggressive form of prostate cancer that had spread to his bones. He said the disease has not stopped him from working, but acknowledged that it has slowed him down at times.
"While writing the book, I was diagnosed with cancer, a disease known all too well to millions of Americans and their families. My doctors continue to be encouraged by how I've responded to treatment," Biden said. He added that "the prayers and kind words and well wishes from so many of you have meant more to me and Jill and our family than you can ever know."
Speaking candidly about how the illness has affected his schedule, the former president said, "Some days are better than others. It hasn't stopped me. But sometimes it slows me down. What that means is, unfortunately, I won't be able to do as many conversations about my book as I'd hoped. However, I'm hopeful the words on the page speak for themselves."
Biden also invoked advice he received from his father: "When you get knocked down, get up." He called it "a good lesson for me. And for America."
Closing his message, Biden offered an optimistic note about the country. "We are blessed. America is the most unique nation on earth. Unlike other countries, we're built on an idea. An idea bigger than any ocean. More powerful than any army. Stronger than any tyrant or dictator. That idea? All of us are created equal," he said.
